Human Stem Cell Encapsulated Transdermal Patch

Current drug delivery methods have significant drawbacks: injections are invasive and painful, while some pills have sickening side effects (due to body’s need for a higher dose). Recently, alginate use as a three-dimensional (3D) scaffold has become an area of interest; alginate’s low cost, adaptability, and biocompatibility make it a potential use for cell transplantation, drug delivery, and to mimic the extracellular matrix. However, mammalian cell storage and handling remains a costly and involved process. Organisms that survive extreme conditions are known to utilize the disaccharide trehalose. We have tested the effects of trehalose exposure on desiccation and cryopreservation on 3D encapsulated human embryonic kidney cell viability. Exposed cells showed survival up to 3 days at desiccating conditions and survival and growth after exposure to cryogenic temperatures. This study shows that trehalose exposed mammalian cells in a 3D scaffold can be utilized to retain viability at extreme conditions